问英语｜英语常见问题解答

核心问题 1

There are no simple definitive equations by which one can predetermine the lift and stability of a kite: the fluid dynamics of an airstream passing a kite is just too complicated for solution. (某大学研考英语试题)

[原译]没有简单的确定方程式,人们能够用以预定风筝的上升和稳定。有关通过风筝的气流的流体力学对于解决问题是太复杂了。(《出国生、研究生英语试题答案》)请分析 too... for 结构的用法。

词典解答 1

在 too...to 结构中,动词不定式符号 to 后面的原形动词一般具有否定的意义。与此相似,在 too...for 结构中,介词 for 后面的名词或名词短语往往也可以理解为具有否定的意义。例如：

It is too hot for work. 天太热,不能工作。
But the smoke was too black for straw fire. 然而烟太黑，不可能是稻草着的火。
You're driving too fast for safety. 你开车太快,是不安全的。

因此,too...to 结构和 too...for 结构常常是可以互换的。

It's too hot to work. (动词) $\$ It's too hot for work. (名词)

[试译]我们没有简单而确定的方程式来预先确定风筝的升力和稳定性。因为通过风筝的气流的流体力学太复杂了，复杂得简直计算不出来。

练习题

请做下面的英语试题：

"Let's take a walk before we start to study." "Oh, I think it's ____ for walking."

A. much too hot B. very much hot C. too much heat D. very much heat. (TOEFL) too...to $^{1}$

核心问题 2

But these were only daydreams, much too heavenly to be contemplated as real possibilities. [原译]但是，这只是白日做梦，若视为真实的可能，那未免太神妙了。（《密西西比河上的生活》）

词典解答 2

在 too + 形容词(或副词) + to + 动词原形这种结构里, to + 动词原形虽然在形式上是肯定的,但在意义上却是否定的。例如:

Bacteria are too small to be seen by the naked eye. 细菌太小,肉眼是看不见的。
He had made no attempt to sit up and it looked as though he was too weak to do so. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) 他没有用力坐起身来，似乎他太虚弱而不能做到这一点。（《哈利·波特与死亡圣徒》）
With a lense we can see objects too small for our eyes to examine or too far away to be seen clearly. 借助于透镜我们能看到那些肉眼察觉不到的微小物体，或太远而看不清楚的物体。
Sometimes the oil may be too thick to pour at all. 有时，油可能稠得一点也倒不出来。
It seemed too unlikely to be a coincidence. (Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code) 看起来这绝

不可能是巧合。(《达·芬奇密码》)

He told me that what happened between them had been brief and sporadic. He couldn't tell me seven months ago, he said, because he was too ashamed to admit it and he knew how angry and hurt I would be. (Hillary, Living History) 他告诉我他与莱温斯基的关系只是短暂的，而且是逢场作戏。他说，他之所以没有在七个月前把这件事告诉我，是因为他感到太羞愧，无法启齿承认这件事，而且他知道我会多么愤怒，我会受到多么大的伤害。

你所提问的句子的译文把 too heavenly to be contemplated 中的否定意义给译成肯定意义了。

[试译]但是,这些愿望都只是白日做梦,因为它们太美妙了,简直叫人不敢相信真的会实现。